Children of the Force
by ArSommers
Summary: ["The Reylo Chronicles: Aftermath", Part 6] When the Darkness' plan is revealed, it not only threatens the Resistance as a whole, but tests the bond of Rey and Ben's relationship as well.
1. Chapter 1

Visions often contain distinctive qualities that are lacking in dreams. The unconscious mind, even in a lucid state, cannot retain such clear images when the mind has returned to reality; nor does it allow tastes to linger in one's mouth for that matter. Such was the case one night when Ben Solo went to sleep.

He could feel the beings-both human and non-human alike- bound by the Force, yet tangled in combat. Ben didn't know why they were fighting, but almost every face held a mix of anger and betrayal. What struck him the most, however, was how many Jedi and Sith there were. As far as Ben knew, the only people who wielded lightsabers were he, Rey, Luke's handful of Padawans, and the Knights of Ren. But this was a number far greater.

Were Jedi and Sith currently in hiding? Was this taking place in another galaxy? Or was this a vision of the future? Either way, now was not the time for questions. In that moment, it would be far more helpful to gather evidence so he could later piece together an answer.

Ben stepped fluidly through the vision, the swirling fog showing one-on-one combats at different locations. He looked for something to connect the pattern, but there was none, save for the fact that each being appeared to be Force-sensitive and in some sort of emotional distress. He saw fighting in forests to deserts, and from buildings to starfighters. What could it all mean?

Finally, Ben came across a face he recognized. It was a more mature version than the one he was used to, without the boyish roundness. Then it dawned on Ben: the man was one of Luke's Padawans.

Ben turned to the attacker, wondering who was challenging the person he knew, when he realized the attacker was also one of Luke's other Padawans, though this one wielded the red blade of a Sith.

Ben called out each of the boys' names, but as he did so the vision spiraled out into the blackness of space as Ben's consciousness returned to the present.

What Ben didn't know was that the moment his eyes opened, Rey's eyes closed for a similar reason.


	2. Chapter 2

Rey had never particularly cared for learning the military tactics involved with space battles. Despite this, the Resistance got it into their minds that because she was a good pilot _and_ Force-sensitive, Rey ought to be involved with the planning sessions. So here she sat, trying her best to follow Captain Connix and the others, hoping that at some point the Force would nudge her mind with some small insight.

Usually Poe helped with strategic planning like this, but he was in another sector of the galaxy, along with her husband Ben and some of the other pilots. Rey didn't know too many details surrounding the circumstances of their mission other than the fact that it involved smugglers trafficing weapons to First Order sympathizers. She'd wanted to help with this operation, but there was someone who required her assistance far more: her daughter.

How was it, Rey wondered, that Cela was already five years old? Despite being born on Endor, Cela had spent all but the first few months of her life with the Resistance. Granted, the consistent moving from base to base could be hard at times, but Cela loved seeing all the different environments on different planets. Another plus was that while there were not many children in the Resistance, the families were typically stationed on the same bases so the younglings would have the same mentors and grow up with one another.

So when duty called either Ben or Rey would go on a mission, while the other stayed behind to care for their daughter. Rey appreciated how accommodating the Resistance tried to be with parents, but even then there were some who still opposed Ben's presence, and as an extension Cela. Nobody was ever mean to their daughter, and the girl was young enough that she didn't notice some of the adults simply avoided her, but these unspoken aversions pained Rey nonetheless. Ben had proven himself time and time again over these past five years, and Cela was a good, respectful child. But nobody can force someone to change their mind, so Rey would try her best to brush it of whilst finding comfort in the friends she was proud to call family.

"The mission in intercepting the smugglers was successful," Captain Connix continued as she shut the holo-projector off. "So long as there are no reprisals, our plans will not need to be put in motion,"

 _And therefore rendering this three-hour meeting useless._ Rey sighed. At least they were prepared for the worst.

Standing up in unison with the other members of the Resistance, Rey's head suddenly began to swim with dizziness. Placing a hand on the table, Rey quickly steadied herself.

"Are you all right?" one of the members asked. Rey looked up to find every face in the small room staring at her.

"I'm fine," she said, "Just stood up too fast,"

The words sounded ridiculous in Rey's own ears. While they were true, rarely did she ever feel suddenly dizzy, let alone sick…this was one of the many perks of a high midichlorian count. Unless…

Collecting her things, Rey left without another word. There was something she suddenly needed to do.


	3. Chapter 3

Everything went wrong in an instant. One moment the Resistance pilots were flying back to base, the next they were surrounded by First Order ships who had come out of lightspeed.

"Incoming on the left," a transmission crackled through Ben's speaker.

"I'll take the first group," Poe veered off.

"A second round is approaching from the right," another pilot said. "I'll take them,"

Pulling up the battle strategy Ben downloaded from the Resistance earlier, he scanned to see where he would be most likely to help. There was one pilot who was being flanked by two tie-fighters, so he decided to start there.

Just as Ben was about to intercept one of the tie-fighters a blast fired, killing the pilot and reducing the x-wing to burning wreckage. With their target destroyed, the two tie-fighters turned to face Ben.

Ben gritted his teeth and turned his x-wing around. He'd fly back towards the main battle with the two tie-fighters chasing him. If he could just get closer to the other Resistance members, someone should be able to get rid of the two on his tail.

"I'm returning to the initial site of contact," Ben radioed his message to everyone on the flight team. "Would appreciate a little help when I arrive,"

"Little tied up at the moment," Poe said, "But I'll get there as soon as I can,"

Of course he was, Ben sighed. Typical of Poe to get right up and center in a battle. "Copy," Ben acknowledged. "Anyone else able to assist?"

Silence. Not even static from someone turning on their channel.

One of the tie-fighters fired a blast at Ben, clipping the side of his x-wing but only causing cosmetic damage.

"I require assistance!" Ben said, a hint of uneasiness now in his voice. "I have two ties gaining on me!" Ben knew the other Resistance members could hear him, so why weren't they responding?

Unless they didn't want to.

Ben looked out the viewport at the battle surrounding him. Each pilot was in combat mode, but he saw a handful that were nearby and were available to help.

A second blast fired, this time blowing off one of the laser canons.

"I'm down one laser canon!" Ben said. If the First Order pilots kept up at this rate, he wouldn't be able to navigate the x-wing anywhere.

"Heading your way," Poe's voice came through the speaker. "Try to hold on a few seconds more,"

"Easier said than done," Ben muttered, though he'd turned his comm off when he said it.

The x-wing bucked as one of the tie-fighters shot the cargo compartment. Ben tore his eyes to the side to find he was now neck and neck with the fighter. Before he could think of his next move, another x-wing- Poe's- flew overhead, blasting that tie-fighter to smithereens in the process. Swinging around and completing a one-eighty, Ben blasted the other tie-fighter as it took aim at Poe.

"Thanks buddy," Poe said.

"No, thank you," Ben slowly released the tight grip his left hand had on the armrest. The encounter should never have been that close of a call.


	4. Chapter 4

Cela's laughter resonated down the hallway as Rey closed the door to the bedroom. Her daughter would be entertained with her favorite hologram show for a half hour, which was more than enough to confirm whether or not Rey's suspicions were true.

Closing her eyes, Rey tried to clear her mind of any distractions as she sat cross-legged on the bed. Rey pushed her concentration beyond her worries: the raging war, Ben's absence due to his mission with the Rebels, what she was going to make for dinner…anything and everything, and focused on the Force that connected the galaxy into a single symbiotic being.

Life and death. Chaos and love. An indefinite unity.

Once Rey established this connection, she placed her hand on her abdomen.

A life, other than hers, was thriving inside.

A smile spread across Rey's face as her eyes remained closed. A second child, she was going to have a second child.

Ben and Rey had talked about expanding their family, though Ben had been reluctant. "The First Order still has a stronghold on this galaxy," he'd said. "I don't know if we should have a second one just yet,"

"But Ben, the First Order could be around for years to come," Rey had responded. "I wish it wasn't so, but it's the truth. This galaxy has been plagued with war before we were born," She'd taken his hands in hers. "If we let the First Order dictate our decisions in life, then they are still winning,"

Ben seemed less hesitant after that conversation. Now, it seemed, that dream would be coming true.

Rey had had that same sensation the last few weeks that she was somehow not alone, just like she had when she was pregnant with Cela on Endor. This time around Rey hadn't paid this new awareness any attention. Between working with the Resistance and having a five year old, she rarely had a moment alone.

The last few weeks…

Using the Force didn't provide immediate answers to all life's questions, but Rey found she could determine how long a life existed after it was physically created. Clearing her mind once more, Rey reached out again to seek another answer…

Her eyes snapped open, instantaneously severing her link to the Force as she let out an involuntary gasp.

Rey was five weeks pregnant; Ben had been away on his mission for eight.


	5. Chapter 5

"DADDY!" Cela leapt into Ben's arms as he swung his daughter around. Rey leaned against the doorway and smiled while she looked at her family. To think that this destiny began unfolding about ten years ago when she left Jakku…my, how her life changed since then. And here a new change was about to enter their lives in the next step of their shared destiny.

"Did you bring me anything?" Cela asked eagerly when her father set her down.

"As a matter of fact I did," Ben reached into his pocket. "Put your hands out like this," he cupped his hands, "And close your eyes," Cela did as instructed, her smile growing with her anticipation. Pulling out a necklace, Ben placed it in his daughter's hands. "Now you can open them,"

Squealing with excitement, Cela held the necklace by the leather chain to get a better look at the purple crystal.

"It's a kyber crystal," Ben explained. "It may only look like a pretty rock right now, but when fitted into the hilt of a lightsaber - the metal part- it completes the lightsaber and can be a force for good. Remember, nobody is too small to make a difference," Ben tapped Cela on the nose as he placed the necklace around her neck, "Kind of like you,"

Rey realized she was touching her stomach and quickly folded her arms. She wanted more than anything to tell Ben about the baby, but she couldn't just yet. Not when he'd returned from a mission where who-knows-what-happened. Today was about reunion; the mysterious pregnancy could be announced another day.


	6. Chapter 6

It didn't take long for news to reach Rey about Ben's near brush with death, particularly since she first heard it from Poe. This newfound knowledge brought about a rush of emotions ranging from hurt to betrayal, and even anger. While she tried her best to quell the anger, the hurt and betrayal lingered. A fleet, even one that hadn't worked together before like Ben's regular squadron, should operate like a chain. What good was the chain if one of the links was considered broken?

The experience was at the forefront of Ben's mind as well. The first opportunity he had time alone with Rey he'd held her tightly, as if afraid of what would happen if he let go. He'd come close to loosing his life, leaving Rey a widow and Cela without a father. But so long as they were under the same roof nothing could tear them apart.

"The Resistance doesn't have any missions planned with you piloting in the near future, do they?" Rey asked while Ben was still holding her.

"No," Ben slid his hands to her shoulders and gave them a squeeze. "And I wouldn't want it any other way. I missed my family," Ben pressed his forehead against Rey's. She felt her cheeks flush as his warm breath graced her skin. He was so close, and yet still so far away from the knowledge of their second child. She had to tell him that night.

"Ben, there's something I need to tell you,"

Hearing the reservation in her voice, Ben pulled back. "What is it?"

Rey smiled, took Ben's hands in hers, and slowly placed them on her abdomen. "We're going to have another child,"

Ben broke into a giddy smile and laughed as he stared at her stomach in wonder, and then cupped Rey's face as he gave her a kiss. "That's wonderful news!" But when he pulled back his expression changed to that of shocked surprise when he saw a single tear roll down Rey's cheek.

"Rey?" he asked. "Rey, baby, what's wrong?"

"I-I don't know how it happened," she confessed.

"You don't know how what happened?"

"The baby," she said. "You…you were gone for two months. The baby was conceived after you left,"

Ben's face was unreadable. After a moment he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"I wasn't with anyone," Rey clarified quickly. "You know I would never be with anyone but you. But something happened. Something happened while you were gone and without my knowledge. I can't explain it,"

Ben continued to stare at her in silence. "Please say something," Rey begged.

"I…I…" Ben closed his eyes. "How do you know this?" he asked. "How do you know the baby was conceived less than two months ago?"

"I reached out with the Force," Rey explained. "I'd experienced some symptoms I'd had when I was pregnant with Cela, and when I realized I was carrying I wanted to know how far along I was,"

Ben relaxed slightly. "Then you must have misunderstood," he said, taking her hands in his. "It must have been hard to tap back into the Force upon learning about the baby's existence,"

"It wasn't like that," Rey's eyes were filled with tears now. "The connection didn't break until I learned the baby was five weeks along,"

Ben smiled kindly. "Then let me try," he offered. "Maybe the connection to another being is throwing your perception of time off,"

Rey didn't see how her "perception of time" played into any of this, but she didn't want to argue. So she straightened her posture and said "Okay,"

Ben kissed her hand and placed it on the bed. "Everything's going to be okay," he promised, his smile reappearing as he closed his eyes and began to clear his mind. At this gesture Rey looked off to the side; she didn't want to see Ben's face when he realized she was had been right. She felt him place his hands on her stomach and waited in silence as he connected himself to the Force and all life in the vicinity.

Then, without warning, her husband cried out in pain.

Ben jerked backwards as if he'd touched something scalding hot. "Ben?" Rey grabbed his wrist to keep him from falling off the bed. "Ben, what's wrong?"

"I…I don't know," he stammered. "As soon as I reached out it felt like there was an explosion of static in my head,"

"I'll get you some water-"

"No!" Ben said quickly. "I'll get it. You just…wait here," Ben walked to the bathroom ("Is he shaking?" Rey wondered) and splashed water on his face. Meanwhile Rey was left with a thousand questions, each one rattling her more than the next. When Ben emerged he said "I'm going to talk to the physician on base tomorrow so we can get you an ultrasound as soon as possible,"

"What's an ultrasound?" Rey asked.

"What do you mean what's-" Ben stopped. "You don't know what an ultrasound is?" Rey shook her head. "It checks on the wellness of a baby before he or she is born," Ben said. "I'm guessing they didn't have those on Jakku?"

"Not that I was aware of," Rey said.

Ben sat down on the edge of the bed and gently took his wife into an embrace again. "We'll get this figured out," he promised. "I won't let anything happen to you or the baby,"


	7. Chapter 7

**_VII_**

Resistance bases were fully equipped for war, but oftentimes lacked in other aspects of life. For example, one would be hard-pressed to find a grandiose kitchen or ballroom in one of these establishments. However, some bases were built with specific functionalities in mind. While almost every base had a med-bay, there were others that had more elaborate equipment that went beyond cleaning blaster burns and sewing stitches. It was one of these more in-depth medical centers that Ben sought.

"Aurrgh," Chewbacca suggested.

"I wouldn't recommend that one," Ben said as he flipped through the hologram map. "It's a good facility, but there's been a lot of First Order activity in that area as of late,"

Ben and Rey decided not to tell others about the pregnancy yet; they hadn't even told Cela. But these were not ordinary circumstances, and they felt it necessary to tell only their closest friends who may be able to provide guidance at the moment. At that time only Chewbacca, Poe, BB-8, R2-D2, and Luke were aware (Rey wanted to inform C-3PO as well, but Ben had insisted they hold off telling the already anxious protocol droid).

R2-D2 twittered excitedly and flashed a light on his dome. "Found something?" Ben asked. R2-D2 turned a dial, which projected another map into the air.

"This could work," Ben said after he'd inspected it. "That post's not terribly far, and it wouldn't even require a jump to lightspeed. Good find R2," R2-D2 beeped proudly as Ben began to download the map onto his datapad.

As preparations were made to visit the facility Ben would have been content with borrowing a "family-sized" star cruiser, but Luke insisted they use the Falcon. "She does no good sitting in storage," the Jedi said. "Besides, I'd feel much more comfortable knowing you were crossing the galaxy in the Falcon than any other starship,"

And thus the trip was planned.

"We're going on a vacation Mr. Chewie!" Cela exclaimed as Chewbacca helped fasten her seatbelt the day of their departure. "And you're coming with us!"

Chewbacca muttered a soft grunt of understanding. Cela loved riding in spacecrafts, and he wanted to make sure she was strapped in tightly, even if no jumps to lightspeed were planned. Meanwhile Ben carried some luggage onboard while Rey and R2-D2 inspected the Falcon one last time.

"She's good to go," Rey confirmed as the last of the items were loaded.

"Okay everyone," Ben said to Rey, Cela, Chewbacca, and R2-D2. "Get ready for lift-off,"

The length of the trip was calculated to last three hours. Despite packing at least a dozen forms of entertainment for Cela for the ride alone, the child was sound asleep within 45 minutes, leaving time for Ben and Rey to discuss matters in private.

"I think we should tell Cela that she's going to be a big sister while we're there," Ben said.

"Yes," Rey said, "I agree,"

A part of Rey had wanted to tell her daughter and friends for weeks; another part was afraid to. There was so much they didn't know surrounding the pregnancy. The only explanation that made the most sense was that she was carrying a child of the Force, just as Shmi had with Anakin; but if that was the case, then there were a thousand more questions that arose because of that conclusion.

"What if the baby's not human?" Rey wondered aloud.

Ben looked at her, surprised. "What ever made you think that?"

"It's just…I don't know, we have to explore every possibility," Rey said. "It wouldn't change how I feel about the baby, but a circumstance like that would raise questions amongst the Rebellion,"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Ben said, forcing a chortle in an attempt to stop Rey from causing his anxiety to skyrocket any further. "We'll take everything one step at a time, starting with the ultrasound,"

Rey accepted this answer, but she didn't look terribly convinced.

"Look," Ben got out of his chair and placed his arms around Rey's shoulders. "If you're worried about my…association with the baby, don't be. My grandfather was a child of the Force, so the blood in our baby's veins runs just as strongly with mine as it does with yours.

"More importantly than that, I love you, and this baby is a part of you. If the Dark Side is trying to cloud your thoughts in any way, just remember that I love this baby just as much as I love you and Cela,"

Ben watched as Rey's face softened. She hadn't looked that relaxed or relieved in weeks.


	8. Chapter 8

The medical droid whirred to life when the doctor turned it on. "This won't take very long," she promised the couple. The mechanical partner, which looked like a silver probe droid, placed its tendons on Rey's abdomen and began to lightly massage her skin. Seconds after it began doing this, a gray image began to materialize on a separate monitor as it received the transmissions. Rey stared at the monitor keenly, though when the picture finished rendering she wasn't sure what she was looking at.

"How does everything look?" Rey asked, rolling a multitude of questions she had into a single phrase.

"Everything looks exactly as it should at seven weeks," the doctor said with a smile. Then, pointing at a circular gray image on the monitor, she said, "You see, this is the baby…and this is the head,"

Rey eyes were suddenly glassy. This was real. This was happening. And this was the baby in front of her.

For a moment all her worries dissipated and were replaced by love. Everything was normal, and she was actually looking at an image of the baby! Never before had Rey physically seen something so small and felt so much love.

Ben, on the other hand, felt a mixture of emotions. He had a love for the baby, but sadness that he had not created the life. What role was the Force playing in all of this? Clearly this baby had an important destiny…all life, after all, held purpose…but at what cost to the Solo family?

For the first time since Ben professed his feelings towards Rey, he wanted to take his family and run. Endor had been wishful thinking, but proved impractical with time. Perhaps they should go to a no-name planet, like when Uncle Luke had been taken to Tatooine, but on the Outer Rim.

And yet, wouldn't they face the same eventual result? One could not hide forever. They couldn't with Cela, and neither had Luke all those years ago.

For now, Ben decided, all he could do was protect his family and trust in the Force.


	9. Chapter 9

The Solo family didn't wish to be away from their current Resistance base for long, but they agreed to rest one night on the planet where Rey had the ultrasound. Seeing as how they weren't familiar with many Resistance members at the base, they tried to keep to themselves for the remainder of the day, joining with others only to eat dinner in the mess hall. Even then, the family received a few stares. The gazes were not intended to be rude, but when a family includes General Organa's redeemed son and a Force-sensitive woman who trained temporarily under the legendary Luke Skywalker, they were bound to receive at least some attention. At first these prolonged glances had been harrowing for both Ben and Rey when they re-joined the Resistance, but they'd grown accustomed to it over time. Cela, on the other hand, was not yet old enough to notice all the stares, and instead enjoyed a meal that had deviated from the norm. After all, every cook on a base had different recipes!

All the commotion from the day's events had tired Rey, so shortly after they finished their meals she retired early to their sleeping quarters.

"Are you feeling okay?" Ben asked.

"I am," Rey said, "It's just been a long day for someone, you know, in my condition,"

"Do you need anything?"

"No thank you," Rey smiled. "Cela seemed interested in the base though. If you want to give her a tour of the facilities I'm sure she'd love it,"

"You sure?"

"Of course," Rey gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll keep the bed warm for you until then,"

Rey wasn't sure how much time passed after she lay down, but when she opened her eyes again the light was almost non-existent. Only the last remaining tendrils of sun seeped through the window, casting shadows across the room.

As if one queue, Rey felt the opposite end of the bed sag slightly under suddenly applied weight.

"Ready to call it a day?" Rey turned over but was surprised to find that Ben wasn't laying on her other side. Propping herself up on her elbows, she looked at the doorway to find the door at the exact same angle as she left it.

Nobody had come in, and nobody had left.

Wary, Rey lay back down, only to be overcome with the sensation that she was not alone. Opening her eyes again, Rey now found herself face to face with the Darkness in the form of Snoke.

Instinct taking over, Rey called upon the Force, catching her lightsaber as she ignited and slashed it through the being standing by the side of her bed.

"A wasted effort," the Darkness/Snoke said as the green blade cut through the ethereal body like a ghost. "This body decayed on another world years ago; you should know that,"

Rey tightened her grip on the lightsaber, refusing to let her guard down.

"If you don't have a body," Rey reasoned, "Then you shouldn't be able to sit on a bed,"

"Ah," the Darkness gave a wicked grin, "But I am able to bend matter as the Dark side of the Force, am I not?"

Rey didn't understand. If the Darkness didn't need to be called upon by a Sith, why bother with the First Order and the remaining Knights of Ren? Unless, somehow, the Darkness was growing stronger. Was that how it was now able to take form and press upon objects?

"What do you want?" Rey asked. The Darkness hadn't manifested since Cela was a baby, and even then it was when Ben opened a Sith holocron.*

The Darkness stood up and walked towards the door, Snoke's gold robe trailing behind its heels. "I wanted to remind you not to be complacent," it said.

"How could I?" Rey challenged. "Everything that's happened within the last few months has been outside the realm of normal!"

"Perhaps," the Darkness said. "Or…perhaps you have been looking in the wrong places,"

Rey would not be taunted. She leapt over the bed and slashed again at the figure, but she may as well have been trying to attack mist. The Darkness drew out its hand and pushed Rey back onto the bed with sheer use of the Force, her lightsaber swinging onto the bed and charring the blankets in the process.

"Do not forget that until the child is born, you are connected to the Force in ways you were not before," The Darkness began to evaporate as it crossed the threshold to the room, "Which is more than can be said for some of your unborn child's brothers or sisters,"

Rey felt her breath catch in your throat. "What do you mean my child's brothers and sisters?" she asked, but the Darkness had already disappeared.

*See "The Reylo Chronicles: Aftermath" story "The Jedi Archives"


	10. Chapter 10

A good portion of the ride back to the Resistance base was in silence. A tension held between Rey and Ben, not towards each other but at the circumstances surrounding the Darkness.

Rey told Ben what happened as soon as he returned from his walk with Cela, which in turn caused Ben to demand they leave at once. Rey hadn't seen the point in leaving the base- if the Darkness wanted to find her again, she was fairly certain it could- but Ben was adamant about returning to a place where his family was "more protected".

The only time they talked about the harrowing experience was about halfway through the ride, when Cela had gone to sleep with R2 by her side, and Chewbacca was out of earshot.

"Assuming what it said was true," Ben asked slowly, "What do you think it meant when it said 'brothers or sisters'?"

Rey looked at Ben. "Remember that dream you told me about? The one where the Padawans were fighting?"*

"Yes,"

"It wasn't just Padawans though,"

"Correct," Ben verified as he recounted the vision. "There were many Force-sensitive beings, both human and alien,"

Rey was quiet a moment, then she said, "What if our baby isn't the only one? What if there are multiple children of the Force?"

"Born like Anakin Skywalker," Ben said. "And like our child will be,"

"With the Force as the father,"

They didn't say anything for a moment, and then Ben mused, "If this was true, we could be looking at an army of Darth Vaders,"

A horrified look crossed Rey's face. "No," she said firmly. "Who says just because a child is conceived by the Force that he or she will be evil?"

"I didn't say that,"

"You implied it," Rey said, a little more harshly than she'd intended.

"I'm sure this child will be powerful one day," Ben admitted, "Maybe even more so than Cela, but I didn't mean our child is destined to join the dark side. I do think, however, if that there are multiple children of the Force then the Darkness will do everything in it's power to have them join the Dark side,"

"If only there were a way to find them," Rey wondered aloud.

"If they've even been born yet,"

"I believe they have," Rey said, "Or at least some. I can feel it, you know? If you listen closely it's almost as if the Force is humming a little louder, as if there are more Force-sensitive beings in the galaxy," A sad expression crossed Rey's face. "I just wish we knew where took look for the others to provide support and search for answers, but it's like looking for a needle in a galactic haystack,"

"What we need to do is be vigilant," Ben said. "Keep our eyes and ears open. And I think it's best that in the meantime you stay close to the Resistance,"

"I agree," As much as Rey didn't like the idea of relying on others for her protection, she decided the extra caution was the best course of action for the time being.

Because the Force had given her something, and its dark side was expecting that something to one day be returned.

*See the first chapter in this story.


	11. Chapter 11

The rest of their Resistance base took the news of the growing Solo family as one would expect: Rey was congratulated with hugs while Ben received hearty handshakes. More importantly to the Solo's, Cela was very excited to learn she was going to be a big sister. What Rey and Ben did not mention to these individuals was how the Force was involved (aside from Luke, Poe, BB-8, Chewbacca, and R2-D2, whom they had shared the news with originally). Still, the question remained how should they proceed from here on out.

Rey, of course, was excluded from her duties as a pilot and assisted with activities on base. Ben, on the other hand, was still participating on missions when called. When he was away and Rey wasn't helping the Resistance or performing motherly duties, she was often found with Luke. She may not have been a Jedi, but as a Force user she was eager to learn anything and everything she could, particularly during uncertain times like these.

It wasn't until she was training with Luke when she was four months along that she realized she was having trouble controlling the Force.

During one of her sessions she'd tapped into the Force, reaching out in an attempt to locate the supposed "children of the Force". When she did this she felt their various hums stretched across the galaxy, but she could not pinpoint exactly where.

"Rey?" Luke asked.

As Rey slowly disassociated herself from the Force's connection, there was a shattering sound as a nearby glass vase unexpectedly split on one side, then toppled onto the floor. Rey looked around, wondering what had caused the vase to fall, but the only other person in the room was Luke.

"What happened?" Rey asked.

"I didn't see anything," Luke gave her a cautious look, "Which is why I'm inclined to say _something_ happened here,"

"I heard you say my name," Rey explained, "So I came back," Rey indicated towards the glass on the floor. "Then I heard the shattering,"

They stared at each other for a moment, and then Rey said, "I'll get a bin to clean it up,"

The general inspected his image in the mirror and smiled. All things considered, time aged him well. Sure, gray sprouted amongst his red hair, but he wore it with pride. He'd been in this war a long time, and had no intention of ceasing his resilience until either the Resistance fell or he gave his final breath. Personally, the general thought the former would happen first.

The Darkness had enacted its plan across the galaxy, but these so-called children of the Force were of no concern to him. It would take years for these infants, toddlers, and children to grow to their full potential. Until then (and even still after), the First Order had to rely on military power. Sure, the Knights of Ren had their little errands in the meantime, but they were individuals, not to be compared with the brute strength of military fleets.

War was military, and military was muscle. And the person who flexed that muscle was Hux.


	12. Chapter 12

A knock on the door disrupted Rey and Cela's tea party.

"Isn't work over for the day?" Cela asked.

"I thought so," Rey sighed. "Maybe it's one of the neighbors,"

"I don't think so," Cela said dejectedly.

Rey stood up (with a little more difficulty) and opened the door to find one of the Resistance's intelligence analysts standing before her, as well as one of the caregivers for Resistance children.

"Good evening Mr. Saardek," Rey greeted her coworker, "And Ms. Thalie," Rey couldn't help but wonder if Cela had somehow tapped into the Force and discovered the visit was, in fact, work-related. She made a mental note to talk to Ben about Cela's growing Force-sensitivity later that night.

"The board requests your immediate presence Mrs. Solo," Saardek said matter-of-factly. "Ms. Thalie has been assigned to watch young Cela at your residence in the meantime,"

Rey stole a quick look back at the living quarters to make sure her daughter was out of earshot. "Does this have to do with the First Order?" Rey asked in a lowered voice.

"In a manner of speaking," Mr. Saardek said. "However, the focus of this meeting primarly relates to you and your husband,"

Rey was confused. She didn't think any of the tasks she'd undertaken recently were out of the ordinary, and as far as she knew nothing had been different for Ben either. "What is the nature of the topic?"

"It will be discussed at the meeting,"

Rey looked at the caregiver, who appeared almost as confused as Rey felt. "All right. Cela, come here honey,"

"Ms. Thalie!" Cela broke into a smile as she joined the group of adults.

"I have to leave for some…work," Rey told Cela, "But Ms. Thalie will watch you in the meantime,"

"Can we have a tea party?" Cela asked.

"I think we can manage that," Ms. Thalie smiled back at the youngling.

"As long as you're in bed by 8:30," Rey returned her attention back to the visitors. "Please, come in. Let me quickly change, I should only be a moment,"

 _What in the galaxy could be so important?_ Rey wondered as she adjusted the collar on her gray vest. Her recent work hadn't resulted in any new intel on the whereabouts of the First Order; truth be told, work had been borderline mundane as of late, almost as if the First Order had decided against raiding planets and were minding their own business.

Once Rey and Saardek left the Solo quarters Rey asked "Is there anything you _can_ tell me before the briefing?"

The bothon furrowed his brows. "I don't know much regarding the circumstances," he said, "But I'd advise upon full transparency when questions are asked," This statement confused Rey even further, but she didn't want to push it as she didn't know Saardek particularly well.

The two wove through familiar corridors until they reached the conference room. Upon entering Rey noticed in the room full of people that Ben was already present, along with Luke and Poe. This struck her as slightly odd, as Luke was not always in attendance at schematic meetings. Then again, he'd been a pilot himself back in the days of the Rebellion, so she didn't want to overthink the situation.

Rey looked at Ben, hoping there would be some visible emotion that would indicate the state of the meeting. Was there annoyance, perhaps from being disrupted after they'd convened for the evening? Fear of an impending attack? Maybe, dare she hope, relief that they'd gained the upper hand in this seemingly never-ending war? She didn't find any of these on his face, only a sense of confused unease, which led her back to square one.

"Thank you all for your attendance at this hour," one of the Rebel leaders started. "We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, but there is information that has come to light that some of us feel must be discussed as soon as possible,"

The speaker indicated his hand towards Rey and Ben. "Most of you are acquainted with the Solo family, and know that they are expecting their second child," Some nodded their heads while others simply avoided Rey and Ben's gaze.

Rey inadvertently clenched her fists. What was this about?

The speaker looked slightly uncomfortable with what he was going to say next. "A matter such as this wouldn't affect the Resistance as a whole; however, we've received information that suggests their unborn child will, at some point, be a target of the First Order. Mr. and Mrs. Solo…do you have any information that would dispel the notion that the First Order is interested in how the child was conceived?"

Every set of eyes in the room was now on Rey and Ben.

"What you are asking is a private matter," Ben growled. "And if you are suggesting anything about our relationship-"

"We overheard a conversation that the child was conceived in the same manner that Anakin Skywalker was," the speaker said bluntly. "Now the Resistance is faced with the possibility that a new lineage of Vader will be born right here in our midst,"

"Where did you hear such a thing?" Ben demanded.

"Our decryption team deciphered a conversation between two First Order members on a cruiser approximately five hours ago," the speaker replied. "We want to know if there is anything we should know, or if there is anything you wish to address on the matter,"

"I want to see the footage," Ben insisted. The fact that Ben wasn't confirming or denying the accusations led Rey to feel that he was already confirming their suspicions that the child was not his.

The speaker tapped a number of buttons, projecting a hologram into the air. Sure enough, there were two First Order crewmembers musing how things would change within the First Order once Rey's "child of the Force" was born. The entire clip lasted only about twenty seconds before it cut out.

There was silence as every being with ears or sensory indicators waited for one of the Solo's to respond. In the end, it was Rey who spoke first.

"It's true," Rey said. "Our second child was conceived by the Force,"

A murmur of whispers ran through the crowd. "Rey," Ben warned under his breath, "You don't have to do this,"

"We have to," Rey said desperately. "This is something that goes beyond just you and me. We both know this child will not live an ordinary life. He or she will, at some point, have to choose to follow the Light or Dark side of the Force. The Dark side will do whatever it takes to pull him or her to the Dark, as we will do everything in our power to bring the Light. There will be lies, deceit, and promises or power. We'll need the full force of the Resistance to stand by our side to face whatever the Darkness brings,"

"This is outrageous!" one of the pilots said. "We accept the grandson of Darth Vader into the Resistance, and what do we get a few years later? A child that will become the new lineage of Vader and likely seek our destruction!"

The hair on the back of Rey's neck stood up straight. This was one of the pilots that had not helped Ben on one of the earlier missions. "How DARE you make such an accusation!" Rey shouted. "This child has done nothing wrong!"

"One need only to review the history achieves to know what that abomination will do once it harnesses the power of the Force!"

Rey began to storm angrily forward, but Ben gripped her shoulders to hold her back. Her anger was fueled by a mixture of maternal instinct, adrenaline, and hormones, but at that moment Rey could only see red as someone insulted her baby's innocent life.

"Our paths are not set in stone," Ben addressed the crowd. "Even the Jedi of the Old Republic couldn't predict the future. To say our child will live with hate in his or her heart is a wild and unfounded accusation,"

"Rey," Luke put his hand on Rey's shoulder, sending a current of comfort from his fingertips via the Force. She instantly felt her nerves relax, though the embers of anger were still present.

"Was there any information about a possible attack?" Luke asked, "Possibly pointing towards Rey?"

"No," the person who led the meeting said, grateful to have the conversation turn in another direction. "But we do need to presume that Rey will be a target within the coming months,"


	13. Chapter 13

Blaster fire ripped a hole in the side of the Resistance base, allowing stormtroopers to flood the building like a gash in a wound.

The attack caught the base off guard. While the Resistance had tools that could strip a ship of a cloaking device, the First Order had invested in updated devices, rending the heroes' old technology useless. The latest weaponry and decryption systems were not always at the Resistance's disposal, as they were minute in comparison to the wealth the First Order had acquired.

"Find Rey and bring her aboard the cruiser," the voice of Hux resonated within each of the stormtroopers' helmets and comlinks worn by three of the Knights of Ren. "Kill anyone that gets in your way,"

Ben knew milliseconds before the attack that something was wrong, but he'd only gotten as far as opening his eyes before the explosion of concrete rattled the building. By then Rey was sitting upright next to him, sharing the same expression of alarm and horror.

No words were said as they got out of bed to retrieve Cela, but they found their daughter in the hallway. "What's going on?" she asked, the remainder of sleep evaporating as she hugged her wookie plush tightly with one hand while the other held the mechanical hand of the family pit droid Pit.

"We're going to fly somewhere," Ben said as he switched the pit droid to the off position as Cela tucked it under her arm, "That's what we're going to do,"

"The others-" Rey started, but Ben cut her off.

"You know why _they_ are here," Ben said. "Luke will take care of the padawans, and Chewie will make sure C-3PO and R2-D2 are with him. Poe and the others will do what they do best in situations like these. But right now we need to get as far away as possible," Scooping Cela into his arms, Ben and Rey exited their quarters and made their way to the hanger.

The worst part for Ben was that he believed something like this would happen ever since the Resistance held their meeting about Rey's unborn child being a target. The Solo family even moved planets a few times since, with Luke, Chewbacca, and anyone with a high ranking flanking their sides. But somehow the First Order had found them. Or, even more likely, their enemies had been lying in wait this whole time, watching with amusement and attacking when Rey was days from her due date.

Rey punched in the combination to unlock the door that led to the hanger. There was a click as the doors unlocked. Ben immediately wedged his shoulder into the crevice so it would open at a faster rate. He almost fell forward when the door swung inward, revealing two of the Knights of Ren on the other side.

"Kylo," one of the masked figures said as the two opponents ignited their red lightsabers, "It's been a while,"

"RUN!" Ben yelled to his family as he ignited his red three-pronged lightsaber. The Knights sprung forward, their blade dancing through the air in a fiery wave as it met Ben's with a hiss. Out of the corner of his eye Ben saw his family round the corner as the fight with his symbolic Sith brothers began.

Rey led Cela towards the repair yard where she knew some cruisers with minimal damage would be grounded. If she could make it there in a reasonable amount of time, she could fly back to the hanger and pick up Ben.

"There she is!" the mechanical voice of a stormtrooper rang out. "Arrest her!"

Rey ignited her green lightsaber and slashed at the troopers. She was still having trouble controlling the Force, so she dared not use it for offensive purposes.

"Cela, you need to get out of here, now!"

"But Mommy-" Cela began to protest as fear shone in her eyes.

"Go somewhere safe, Daddy or I will come back for you!" Cela stood rooted to the spot a moment longer, not wanting to leave her mother. "Please," Rey begged. "Go!" As another stormtrooper appeared, Cela dodged between his legs and ran as fast as she could to Master Luke's quarters.

"If you do anything to my daughter you _will_ pay," Rey growled at the stormtroopers.

"And why would we want her," an unfamiliar voice said behind Rey as a pair of binder cuffs clamped around her wrists, "When we could have a child that is even more pure with the Force?"

Rey silently cursed herself for not being aware of anyone behind her. She flexed her fingers to twirl the blade to her left, but her range of motion was too limited.

"Leave the youngling," the Knight of Ren ordered and he snatched the lightsaber from Rey's hand, "And inform Hux we have what he wants,"


	14. Chapter 14

The corridors beyond the living quarters, kitchen, and daycare on this base were very confusing to Cela. They were like metal mazes, each hallway looking almost identical to the next, yet somehow linking to one another. Her parents had always told her not to be in the hallways unaccompanied, and she didn't mind that rule. But now that she was forced to be all alone in the dark, she found the prospect terrifying.

Cela looked to her right and the left. She bet Master Luke would know what to do if he were in a situation like this.

Wait…Master Luke! She should find him and then he and the Padawans could help her parents fight the bad guys and escape!

But which direction was the Master?

A tingling sensation in the back of Cela's mind seemed to indicate left, so she turned left and ran down the hall till she was faced with another divided corridor. This time, the tingling indicated right. Figuring she had nothing to lose, Cela continued to listen to the tingling sensation. She'd felt a similar sensation a few times when Master Luke talked to her about the Force, so maybe that was the Force's way of talking back.

She kept following the feeling in the back of her head until she heard some sounds. They weren't angry and there weren't any clashes from fighting, so she figured it had to be the Resistance. Carefully making her way around the corner, she was overcome with relief when she saw Master Luke with a few of the technicians in the hallway.

"Master Luke!" Cela ran as fast as she could to the Master, which was kind of hard when she was holding a plushie in one hand and a collapsed pit droid in the other.

"Cela?!" Luke stopped in his tracks, a shocked look overtaking his face. Leaning down on his cane to be eye-level with the youngling, he asked, "Where are your parents?"

The enormity of the situation began to hit. Tearing up, Cela said "Daddy is fighting two people with lightsabers by the hanger and one of the bad guys found Mommy," Cela grabbed Luke's hand. "You and the Padawans have to help them!"

The lines on Luke's face creased with worry. Cela's description of the situation was vague, but it was enough to inform him Rey and Ben were in trouble.

"Activate your com links," Luke ordered the technicians. "Tell the soldiers via the secure channels that Ben and Rey need assistance,"


	15. Chapter 15

The holding cell felt unnecessarily cold. Grabbing a threadbare blanket on the cot, Rey draped it around her shoulders. It didn't do much, but she'd take what she could get.  
As soon as the Knight of Ren and stormtroopers brought her into one of the small transport vessels, they'd flown into space and boarded a Star Destroyer. Rey tried asking the most basic of questions: "What do you want?", "What did you do to Ben?", and the like, but received no answers. All she'd learned was that her "presence was expected", which was as vague as it was intimidating.  
Rey looked around her temporary prison. If you'd seen one First Order cell, you'd essentially seen them all: they were void of any color save silver and black, and contained only the most basic essentials. At least this room didn't have one of those slabs with the restraints like the one she'd been tethered to when the First Order caught her.  
You mean when Kylo Ren caught you, Rey thought. It was something she tried not to think about, but it was the truth nonetheless.  
"A truth you debate one day telling your children,"  
The blanket fell from Rey's shoulders as she looked around the room. There was that voice again: the Darkness, or the dark side of the Force itself. But, as before, there was no human or alien mouth that could have spoken it. At that moment in time the voice was only speaking to her, as if it were being projected to her ears from her very soul itself.  
"You don't know a thing about me," Rey responded with her thoughts.  
"I know you fear what lies ahead," The Darkness seemed to trail from one end of the room to the other. "You dread the day you will have to reveal to your second child that Ben is not the father,"  
"That's not true!" Rey spat aloud. "This child was conceived the same way Ben's grandfather was; he or she is a Skywalker as much as Cela,"  
"Perhaps," the Darkness muttered nonchalantly. "But will the child understand this perspective when it sees it has other brothers and sisters with different mothers, born of the same way?"  
Rey felt the child move, as if it were shifting uncomfortably. She placed a hand protectively on her stomach. "Whatever wedge you are trying to drive though the Solos will never work," Rey insisted. "You may have succeeded in your attempt to turn Darth Vader, but you will NEVER destroy my family,"  
Without warning Rey slammed backwards against her cot. She tried to place her arm backwards to catch herself, but it was no use; the Darkness had infiltrated her body. So instead she lay there helpless and motionless.  
"You know by now that the imbalance in the Force currently favors the Sith," the Darkness whispered in her ears as it placed pressure upon Rey's chest, then slowly began to move the pain downwards. "It is only when these children of the Force have grown that we can finally finish this war once and for all," The Darkness let the pressure come to rest on Rey's stomach for a moment, and then pressed with all it's might.  
Rey's screams could be heard throughout the corridors.

"Right there," Poe pointed at the screen. "Our satellites picked up traces of Star Destroyer activity at that location,"  
"How do we know that's the one that holds Rey?" one of the pilots asked.  
"Homing beacon," Poe gave a sly smile. "You think we'd ignore the First Order threats we'd been receiving and NOT give her one?"  
"The Resistance barely had any time to put a plan together, but they did have one nonetheless. The pilots were going to take down the deflector shield generator; once it was inactive Ben and the combat troops would enter through the hanger. From there they would make their way through the innards of the ship, find Rey, and return to one of the closest Resistance bases.  
Ben volunteered to be among the pilots to disable the shield generator, but the idea was quickly vetoed. "You need to stay behind until the generator is down," Luke insisted. "You may have your father's skills as a pilot, but you cannot risk your life inside an X-wing. You will need to lead the party that finds Rey, not only because she's your wife but because you're Force-sensitive," Ben had scowled, but he knew Luke was right. Besides, with Poe leading the air squadron, disabling the deflector was the least of Ben's worries.

Rey was wheeled to the medical station by two stormtroopers. Once she was within its sterile confines the troopers left her alone with four medical droids. It wasn't until that moment she'd come to a grim conclusion: her second child would not be brought into a world surrounded by loved ones; it would be born in an unfamiliar ship in a room filled with inorganic beings while the humans waited nearby to snatch the child away to serve whatever evil purpose they had planned.  
Rey tried reaching out with the Force to search for life forms beyond the walls, but she'd barely been able to project within arms reach. Just as it had been with Luke a few months prior, she seemed to have lost what was once a strong grip on the Force. This scared her immensely, but not as much as the idea of what the First Order had planned for her child.  
Ben, Rey thought as she blinked back tears, Where are you?  
A few hours passed seemingly to no avail. There were no flashing red lights warning them of imminent attack, nor had anyone come into the room to visit Rey, Resistance or First Order.  
A shatter rang throughout the room as one of the glass cabinets split in two. Rey hadn't meant to lash out with the Force; she hadn't even called upon it. Her only thought had been on the intensity of the contractions, but the Force seemingly had a will of it's own. Then again, wasn't that what the Force was, something in and of itself that connected all beings and transcended both life in the universe and death beyond its physical borders?  
"Prepare to receive the newborn," one of the droids clacked to the other.  
Please, Rey thought, Not here, not now, not in this room. But a few seconds later her child entered the world.  
Rey had expected the droids to at least place the newborn in her arms, but the silver mechanisms quickly wrapped the infant and instead began to leave the room.  
"Wait," Rey begged, crying. "Please let me hold my baby," But her child was already gone.


	16. Chapter 16

Something was wrong.

Ben felt a disturbance in the Force, as if it were rippling invisible sensory warnings through the air. The feeling grew stronger the further he delved into the Star Destroyer that held Rey…if she was even still there. The homing beacon hadn't moved any great distance for hours. Normally Ben would assume that meant Rey was being held in a cell, but even after they'd landed in the hanger it hadn't moved, which he would have expected since she was a prisoner. The only reasoning's Ben could come up with was that either the homing beacon has been discovered and removed (but not destroyed), or that Rey had been left for dead.

An X-wing came barreling into the hanger, skidding to a screeching stop before the hanger's doors closed. Ben hadn't paid it much mind- just one more pilot that could help on the mission- until BB-8 ejected out of the back socket.

"Poe?" BB-8 turned to his partner and twittered excitedly as his friend emerged.

"Barely made it, but I'm here" Poe gasped as he removed his helmet. "You still have a location for Rey?"

Ben took out a small holoprojector in his pocket and turned it on. "Yes,"

"And the route to find her?"

"A crude outline," Ben admitted, "But it should hold,"

"Good," Poe pulled a blaster from its holster. "Then let's get started,"

As they fought their way through waves of stromtroopers Ben wished the holoprojector was able to display data which identified the rooms. Were they looking for Rey in one of the holding cells? Ben realized they weren't when the beacon sent them in the opposite direction of a sign that indicated a temporary holding center. It wasn't until they were a few yards away from the signal that Ben realized where they were.

"This some kind of medical facility?" Poe asked as they passed a room holding a bacta tank. Ben was about to answer when he stopped a few rooms away. Rey- or the beacon- was behind the door ahead.

Ben waved his hand in front of the touch-enabled control panel. "Access code denied," a bored feminine mechanical voice said. With a frustrated yell, Ben ignited his lightsaber and slashed the panel to pieces. The wiring short-circuited and opened to the room beyond where Rey was laying in a medical bed.

"Danger!" a single medical droid yelled as it skirted away from Rey. It started wheeling towards the other end of the room to press an alert button when Poe stuck a blaster in its mechanical face.

"Don't you dare," Poe warned as Ben rushed to Rey's side.

"Are you all right?" Ben asked as he tried to size up the situation. "Did they hurt you?"

Rey grasped Ben's arm as soon as he was within reach and squeezed it with all her might. "Three medical droids took the baby," she said. "I…I didn't even get to see the baby's face. I tried to follow, but I'm having difficulty getting up. I can't even reach out with the Force to search for the baby, it's like the Force left me…like everything's gone…"

"Shhh," Ben held Rey close. "I'll find our baby, everything's going to be fine-"

A small blast echoed through the room. The medical droid had been reduced to a heap of smoldering metal. "Tried to alert the others again," Poe scoffed as he holstered the blaster. "We've made enough of a racket coming in here, it won't be much longer before the First Order sends more stromtroopers this way,"

"Poe," Ben turned to the pilot, "I need you to take Rey to the transport and get her to a Resistance base. You're the only one on this forsaken ship I trust enough to keep her safe. I'll follow after I have found our child,"

"Who else is here?" Rey asked.

"Some ground troops and a few pilots," Poe answered, and then narrowed his eyes as he said to Ben "I'll send some of our ground troops to go with you,"

Ben nodded curtly. "Rey," he grasped her shoulders as Poe went to round up the Resistance members who had followed from the hanger, "I promise I WILL bring our child back,"


	17. Chapter 17

Ben received updates from the Resistance via comlink as he journeyed through the Star Destroyer. He'd all but breathed a sigh of relief when he learned Rey, Poe, and BB-8 had jumped to light speed. Half the battle had been won; now the rest was up to him.

What Ben was not expecting was when one of the troops called in and spoke of hostages.

"There are three women and three young children," the voice crackled on the other line. "It's a strange situation. The women claim they have been held here for years, though their quarters appear to be fully functioning living spaces, and the children do not seem afraid. If anything, they're nervous that we're here,"

Ben ground his teeth in frustration. "If they want to leave, let them come with us," he decided. "But keep an eye on them, this could be some elaborate trap set up by the First Order. Then again, for all we know these could be the other children of the Force and their mothers. Rey could very well have become one of them had we not reached this Star Destroyer when we did,"

Which begged the question, how many children of the Force were there? Were they spread out throughout the galaxy? Ben had seen many Force-sensitive people in his vision less than a year ago; he had a sinking feeling there were many more.

"I'd always thought our reunion would be more…intense," Ben looked up at one of the overhead walkways to find Hux smiling down at him. In his arms the general held a bundle wrapped in a gray blanket. "Yet here you are, scavenging the ground like the pathetic rat that you are,"

Ben wanted to reach out with the Force and take what Hux was holding, but he was afraid. Was it the baby? Was state was the child in? Would he even risk lowering the child via the Force to his arms when his own emotions were running so high?

"Yes," Hux acknowledged as he watched various emotions cross Ben's face. "This is Rey's son,"

"A son," Ben hadn't meant to say the words aloud, but they came out before he could stop them. He and Rey had a son.

Desperate to get the infant out of his enemy's grasp, Ben looked around the industrial space for anything that could be of use. There weren't any loose objects that could be used to his advantage, but he did note a staircase at the end of the room. Ben rushed eagerly towards it, but before he could set foot on the first step he found himself reeling forward as a Knight of Ren struck him from behind. Struggling to see past the stars that were obscuring his vision, Ben ignited his lightsaber and blindly struck at the person behind him. The blade missed the target, but his arm did make contact with the knight's mask. The black and gray helmet rolled to the side, revealing a man with glowing red and yellow eyes.

The eyes of a Sith.

"Ben Solo," the man said, a twisted smile playing across his face. Ben didn't recognize this individual, but he could feel the evil emanating in waves.

 _This is no ordinary man,_ Ben realized _. This Knight's overtaken by the Darkness, like when I opened the Sith Holocon with Luke._

"How nice it is to meet in the flesh again," the Darkness said.

Ben held the lightsaber warningly in front of him. "What makes you think I won't destroy you again?"

"It is likely," the Darkness answered nonchalantly. "Not that I intend to stay in this body when you cut the life out,"

"I'm here to take my son home," Ben said. "That's all I have left to gain from today,"

"Home?" the Darkness cackled. "And where is home to you, Mr. Solo?"

Ben thought of all the places he'd been over the last few years. He'd hidden from the Resistance, tried to start a life on Endor, and was now evading the First Order with the Resistance. Ben had no physical home; until the war ended, he doubted he ever would. But amongst all the moving, running, and planning, one thing had remained constant.

"Home is no longer a location for me," Ben answered. "It is a people shared by beliefs, vows, and blood,"

"How noble," Hux said sarcastically as the bundle in his arms began to cry.

Ben's heart began to pound with pain. "And you're holding a part of that home," Ben said. "All I ask is that you give me my son,"

"Your son?" the Darkness scoffed. "The child belongs to me. And if you walk out of the room with this child you can rest assured I will come back for him, armed with more than one Star Destroyer at my disposal,"

Ben saw a shadow move in the overhang, quickly darting between one pillar and the next. A friend, he hoped. Clearly the First Order had no intentions of hurting the baby. If Ben could just bide a little more time…

"If you do so, I can guarantee you will encounter Rey and I once again," Ben said. "And again, and again, until we are no more. You may have helped create the child, but you will never be the father,"

A red bolt cut through the air, sizzling inches past Ben and landing straight in the heart of the Knight of Ren. The Darkness let out a shrill cry of agony, but in a matter of microseconds the man's eyes were back to a natural brown color before they closed forever. The Darkness had departed once again.

The shooter behind the fatal shot emerged in a mass of brown hair and let out a warrior cry that only a wookie could make.

Hux's face went red with frustration as Ben hurled himself onto the walkway. "Stop right there!" The general pulled a blaster from his holster and aimed it at Ben. "I'm warning you!"

Chewbacca ripped the blaster out of Hux's hands from behind, tearing his claws into flesh as he did so. No sooner had Hux let out a scream of pain than Ben managed to take the newborn out of Hux's other hand, securing the child tightly in his gloved grasp.

Ben felt his breath catch in his throat as his eyes locked with the newborn. The boy had Rey's face, as well as what appeared to be a budding of brown hair, thought it was hard to tell in the lighting. But what struck him most were the eyes. It was something Ben shared with Anakin, as well as the Skywalker twins: a connection that could only be created in the lineage of the Force.

 _Because he is your son,_ Ben thought.

In a last ditch effort Hux lunged at Ben to take the newborn back, but it was too late. Igniting his lightsaber, Ben slashed at his former First Order partner. The intent was not to kill, only to defend; but in doing so the very tip of his blade seared across Hux's face, cutting a line similar to the one Rey had given Ben all those years ago.

With Hux on his knees Ben turned back to the staircase, Chewbacca following protectively behind in case any more Knights or stromtroopers felt the need to spring out of the shadows.

"Come on Chewie," Ben said and he took a second glance at his son. The baby was no longer crying. "Let's go home,"


	18. Chapter 18

Cela was the first to reach the door.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed when Ben entered the room. Then, noticing a squirming white bundle in his arms, Cela asked, "Is that my baby sister or brother?"

"It is your baby brother," Ben smiled at Rey as he walked over to the bed she was resting in. "Here," He put the baby in his wife's arms arms. "Lucas is perfect in every way," Ben sat on the side of the bed as Cela hopped into his lap, the three of them looking at the newest member of the family.

"Lucas," Rey cooed through her tears as she held the baby close. "Thank you," she cried, "Thank you for bringing him back,"

"Why is his name Lucas?" Cela wondered aloud. Seeing that Rey was still too awestruck over her new son to respond, Ben answered the question.

"He's named after Master Luke," Ben replied. "You see, my Uncle Luke is a very important person in both your mom's and my life. We wanted to give your brother a similar name,"

"Oh," Peering at the baby's face again, Cela added, "He doesn't look like Master Luke,"

Rey laughed. "He may look a little like him one day," she said as she rested her head on Ben's shoulder.

From across the room Chewbacca called Cela over in Shyriiwook so that the new parents could have a moment alone.

"I think Chewbacca says he has cookies for you," Ben said. Eyes widening, Cela jumped off his lap and ran to join Chewbacca by the door. "Don't let the baby go anywhere," Cela said, "I want to talk to him when I come back,"

"We're not going anywhere," Ben smiled as Cela and Chewbacca left the room.

"Are you okay," Rey asked Ben the moment the others were out of earshot.

"I'm fine,"

Rey placed a finger on her son's small chest, which the baby instantly held onto, as if saying " _It's_ _okay_ _mom_ , _I'm_ _here_ _now_."

"It's the strangest thing," Rey said. "The moment you handed me Lucas I felt connected to the Force again. I don't know if it was something our child did or not, but…it's inexplicable, and it's back," Rey turned to Ben. "Where did you find him?" A part of her didn't want to hear the answer, but she had to know the truth.

"Hux was holding Lucas in a remote part of the ship when I found him," Ben said. "The fight didn't last long. Chewbacca helped me rescue our son,"

Rey nodded. "They'll come back for him one day, I'm sure of it,"

Ben gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "And we will be ready for if they do. But perhaps we should lay low for a little while. I think we all deserve a little normalcy in our lives,"

"I agree. I'm not saying we should disappear again like on Endor, but we need to distance ourselves from the military aspect of the Resistance for a while,"

"The Resistance will be busy in our absence," Ben said. "They've agreed to search for other Children of the Force, if there are any,"

"Good," Rey said. "We need to rescue these family and have them on our side when these infants and children grow into adolescents and adults. There's no telling what may happen in the next few years or even the next decade, but I've no doubt a new war will come," Rey rocked Lucas in her arms while the infant stared back at them with eyes full of wonder, potential and the light side of the Force. "Our love is stronger than the dark side's hate," Rey decided, "And I know that in the end, one way or another, we will triumph,"

[Thank you all for your continued support! While I currently do not have any further stories planned in this series, I will update this chapter if I decide to write another story. Thanks again and may the Force be with you ;) ]


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